Dengue cases: Chandigarh invokes Epidemic Diseases Act, challans private lab owner

“We issued a challan against one private lab on Saturday, which was found not sending any report to the department,” said Gaurav Aggarwal, anti-malaria officer in the health department. “We will continue the crackdown on the violators. The action was taken under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.”

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As the city is witnessing a rise in the dengue cases this year, the health department has intensified steps to stop further spread of the disease in the city. From house-to-house checking to issuing challans against the violators, the health department officials claim that Chandigarh has become the first place where such steps have been taken to prevent the spread of dengue. It is for the first time that Chandigarh has invoked the Epidemic Diseases Act, and taken a decision including issuing of challans and serving notices to the private labs in the city.

The health officials said that the SDMs reviewed their areas on Saturday. “SDM (East) took a special round of colony no. 4 and Bapu Dham Colony. Fogging was done in colony no. 4 under his direct supervision,” said the officials.

The health department also conducted special checking in Kabari Market, Dhanas, Colony No. 4, Motor Market and Manimajra, and issued 26 challans.
According to the health department, during a special drive, 101 teams were deployed in the sensitive areas in which they surveyed 20,670 houses. “As many as 9,038 coolers and 28,211 containers were checked, and 70 notices were issued,” said the officials. “Notices were issued to the residents of Burail, Sector 45-D, Sector 7, Daria and Kaimbala villages where breeding of dengue larva was found on their premises.”

The department has already intensified the fogging operation in the affected areas. On Saturday, fogging was done in sectors 28 and 29 in Chandigarh. The department has made free dengue testing facility available at four places in the city.

A total of 278 residents of UT have been diagnosed with dengue so far.